


It's Football, Not Soccer!

by Mae01



Series: Marauders Modern AU [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, Fanfiction, Football | Soccer, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Humor, Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Modern Marauders (Harry Potter), One Shot, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Remus Lupin & Lily Evans Potter Friendship, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:08:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29538705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mae01/pseuds/Mae01
Summary: Remus and Lily watch James and Sirius at practice.“Remus! You can’t call it soccer! We don’t like in the US!”“They call it soccer in Canada as well!”
Relationships: Remus Lupin & James Potter, Remus Lupin & Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black & James Potter, Sirius Black & Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin & James Potter & Lily Evans Potter
Series: Marauders Modern AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138295
Kudos: 14





	It's Football, Not Soccer!

**Author's Note:**

> This is a stand-alone work. There are other stories in the universe, but you do not need to read other stories to understand this one.
> 
> I do not own any Harry Potter characters all characters belong to JK Rowling.
> 
> NOTE: 'Slim it' and 'good that' are phrases that Lily created when Remus was going through a hard time that if he needed first aid help or just needed to sit with no questions asked then he could say the words and she would respond with 'good that.' More detail at the end notes if needed.

“So this is what they do?”

Remus and Lily were sitting on the bleachers watching their friends practice soccer. They knew that they were supposed to call it football because they lived in the UK, but it was so entertaining calling it soccer because their friends got very annoyed. They had never seen a soccer game before and when James and Sirius heard that, they demanded that Remus and Lily had to watch either a practice or a game. This is where our story takes place, a sunny June day after school at the school soccer field.

“I guess so,” Remus responded. “They look like cats when you use a laser pointer. They just follow it and try to swat it.”

“I agree,” Lily said with a laugh. “I’ve never been a fan of playing sports, they don’t seem that interesting if you think about it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Lily said with a sigh. “There are only three outcomes in almost any sport. You either win, lose, or it’s a tie. Why would you spend so much time doing that?”

“I don’t know,” Remus said. “I mean you make a good point but I think I can see the benefits of watching sports.”

“And that is?”

“Lily...” Remus said while rolling his eyes and shaking his head. “Your boyfriend is running around hot and sweaty without a shirt. His best friend is also running around hot and sweaty. He may still have his shirt on but his sweat has pretty much made it see-through.” Remus laughed as his friend’s jaw dropped when she finally realized he was right. “Lily, we get to watch two very good looking men without being called creepy. I think that’s a benefit.”

At this discovery, both Remus and Lily turned their full attention to the field as they watched the practice. They sat there for another 10 minutes before practice ended and the boys started heading to the change room. James and Sirius were going to meet them at the bleachers when they had showered and changed.

“So,” Lily said as she watched their friends disappear into the school. “Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?”

“First of all,” Remus started, “we aren’t in a room so there can’t be an elephant in the room. Secondly. I swear to everything holy that if this is about Sirius and I-”

“Of course it’s about you two! Rem, you looked like you wanted to rip his shirt off just 10 minutes ago!”

“I did not!” Remus exclaimed back as his face turned red in embarrassment.

“Oh, my love… You are so blind! You totally like him and you just refuse to make a move!”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Lily-”

“Don’t swear at me!”

“I will do what I please!”

“Why won’t you admit you like him?!”

“Is this relevant? Must we talk about this now?”

“Well do you have a better time in mind?”

“Yes!” Reus exclaimed in his frenzy. “I think never talking about this would be great!”

“Oh no, that is not happening! The sexual tension-”

“No no no no no! Lily, Please!”

At this point, James and Sirius were walking towards their friends and were confused but entertained.

“Pads? What is going on with those two?”

“Prongs,” Sirius replied. “That is your girlfriend, I think you should have more of an idea than I do about what is going on.”

“Yes, but the other person in that conversation is the guy you stare at like you’re obsessed with him.”

“I do not!”

“Dude,” James replied as he placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You constantly look like you want to undress him and touch him. It’s a surprise he hasn’t noticed yet.”

“I do not!” Sirius exclaimed as his face turned bright red.

“Sure you don’t, and I don’t play soccer.”

The boys finally reached the bleachers in time to hear Remus’ and Lily’s last comments.

“Slim it, Lily!”

“You can not pull that card right now!”

“You have to say ‘good that!’ That was part of the promise you made!”

“That was if you were hurt and didn’t want me to ask questions!”

“Well you’re about to get hurt if you don’t say ‘good that!’”

“Hey, Remus?” James hesitantly asked. “Uh, I would appreciate if you didn’t kill my girlfriend.”

“How much did you both hear?” Remus asked immediately.

“We heard everything after you saying ‘slim it.’ Trying to hide something, dear Remus?” Sirius said as he sat down on the row below the hot-headed friends.

“Always,” Remus said with a smirk. “You know me and my ten thousand secrets.”

“Ah yes,” Sirius responded with the same look. “How could I forget about the secret life of Remus Lupin.”

As the group settled into their usual banter, James could help but wonder what Remus and Lily thought about their practice.

“What did you guys think about the practice game?”

“Well,” Remus started. “It’s interesting for sure. Soccer-”

“Hold up,” Sirius said, cutting off Remus’ comment. “Did you just call that beautiful sport soccer?”

“Yes, I did. Anyways, it’s interesting-”

“Wait, hold up! Wait a minute,” Sirius interrupted his friend again. “I know you ain’t gonna speed past that like you didn’t just say what you just said! Soccer?! It’s football!”

“But there is already a game called football! You know, the tackling one?”

“A game?! You mean a sport??”

“It’s the same this, Sirius!”

“It is not! Football is more than just a game, it’s a-”

“Lifestyle,” Remus finished, rolling his eyes. “Yes, yes. I know!”

Lily pulled her phone out of her pocket and started a conversation with her boyfriend.

(  **Lily** /  _ James  _ )

5:03 pm:  **How do these two losers not see that they like each other?**

5:04 pm:  _ I have no idea. How long do you think we will have to put up with their flirting until they come to the conclusion? _

5:05 pm:  **I hope not long, but knowing Remus it could be quite a few years.**

5:06 pm:  _ Same with Sirius… They are so stupid. _

5:07 pm:  **They are… But we love them.**

5:08 pm:  _ Sadly. _

“Remus! You can’t call it soccer! We don’t like in the US!”

“They call it soccer in Canada as well!”

“We live in England! We are in the UK!”

“Okay,” Lily yelled. “Neither of you are going to win this! Can we drop it and go get some food?”

“But-”

“But-”

“No!” James and Lily both yelled in response to their friends. 

As the four friends walked to the parking lot, James and Lily could hear their friends still whisper fighting but tried to ignore it. Remus and Sirius liked each other but neither of them was going to make the first move and James and Lily were already done with it. Little did they know, it was going to be another five years before they had their first kiss. May James and Lily be filled with patience for the coming years.

**Author's Note:**

> I am still working on Remus' backstory work (I am at 16 000 words (33 pages) and I'm not half done yet. It should be out by February 26, 2021, hopefully) and that is where there will be an explanation to the 'slim it' and 'good that' comments. To those who are reading before/without that story's knowledge, I will explain here.
> 
> Lily promised Remus that if he needed first aid help or just needed Lily to sit with him while no questions or comments were made, there would be a codeword. This codeword ended up being 'slim it.' If Remus came to Lil in pain or anything but didn't want to answer questions, he would say the codeword and she would reply with 'good that.' She came up with these after their love for The Maze Runner series.
> 
> It will make more sense when the story comes out (for those who want to read it) but until then, I hope this fulfils the curiosity :) I will make a note in the beginning notes as well.


End file.
